Runaway ads for the enslaved that appear in the newspapers of northern colonies serve to remind us that although the conditions of slavery in the North were different, they were not necessarily better than those in the South. Despite sometimes working alongside their masters and living with them, northern enslaved people were still considered to be property and might be subject to harsh, cruel treatment just as readily as if they had been in the South. Although what caused Prince to run away from Joseph Barnard in 1749 is unknown, he was clearly unhappy. We do know that Prince was back in Deerfield, Massachusetts, within months of having left. He died three years later in 1752.
Barnard, Joseph (1717-1785). [Advertisement in “The Boston Weekly Post-Boy” newspaper.] Boston Weekly Post-Boy, October 2, 1749. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l99-174/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.